1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to clothes hangers and, more particularly, to accessory clips for wire types of clothes hangers.
Wire clothes hangers are well known and in abundant use. They are the least expensive type of clothes hanger and are therefore plentiful.
A long known problem associated with their use is that they are narrow (the width is equal to the diameter of the wire) and as such they tend to crease the shoulder area of shirts and jackets that are hung from them.
Previous prior art devices have included clips that attach to wire hangers and which widen the area around their ends. Unfortunately, the nature of wire hangers is that they do not well support the garment generally because they are thin and smooth metal devices. As such, the garments tend to slide off of the hangers.
Therefore, the garment on the hanger having a prior art type of a clip attached may nevertheless shift position simply because there is nothing that tends to keep the garment in position. Even though a prior art type of slip may widen the support area it may not end up supporting the garment where desired, namely at a location proximate the shoulders.
There is another problem involving the support provided to a garment by a wire clothes hanger. The span from one end of the hanger to the opposite end is too narrow a distance to support most shirts and jackets properly at the shoulder areas.
As a result, wire hangers tend to support the garments intermediate the shoulder and neck areas. This is most undesirable because it tends to impress a crease mark in this area. If a support mark were formed at the shoulder area, it would be less visible than where present wire clothes hangers leave an impression. Still, it is preferable to support the garment properly all the way to the shoulder area and in such a way that a support mark is not formed or impressed into the garment.
Also, prior known types of wire clothes hanger clips have tended to be either flimsily constructed or made of impermanent materials, such as Styrofoam. Not only do such materials when used, deter public acceptance and usage of these types of devices but Styrofoam, in particular, can degrade and by way of static electricity produce unsightly particles that cling to the clothes.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a clip for wire clothes hangers that is durable, does not produce debris that can cling to the clothes, supports the garment proximate the shoulder area, does not crease the garment, and which resists unwanted motion of the garment while it is suspended by the hanger.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Clips for clothes hangers are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,873 to Ward, Apr. 23, 1946; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,726 to Nelson, Sep. 7, 1948; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,029 to Gaydos, Dec. 16, 1969; and PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,110 to Tate, Jul. 16, 1985.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.